Drew Ramsey: How to Use Nutritional Psychiatry to Boost Your Mental Health

Can the dietary choices we make right now affect how we feel later in the day? What’s the difference between “doing” health and creating health? In this episode of the Align Podcast, Drew and I discuss how the food that we consume can impact our mental health both in a positive or negative way. For example, incorporating brain food such as omega-3 fatty acids and leafy greens are proven to help promote healthy brain functions and keep your mood stable.  Plus, we talk about how individuality is not something that is taken into consideration on social media when advice is shared in regards to health and diets. We all have different genetics and needs in terms of nutrition and following a cookie-cutter rule for nutrition can lead to unintentional malnutrition.  Drew Ramsey, M.D. is a psychiatrist, author, and farmer. He is a clear voice in the mental health conversation and one of psychiatry's leading proponents of using nutritional interventions. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.   What we discuss:   03:26: The 6-week anti-depressive timeframe 04:21: Why Drew decided to focus on anxiety and depression 07:43: The impact on the health care system when the health care providers' mental health is not taken care of 11:28: Being in the cycle of nature 15:24: Bacterial exposure in nature and how it relates to mental health 20:29: How are bugs controlling us? 24:24: A prediction on the effect on young people being hindered from facial expressions due to the current mask usage 28:47: What is nutritional psychiatry? 34:06: How does social media influence our choices and the dangers of not considering our individuality 37:53: Why some patients might feel worse in their first psychiatry appointment 40:51: Are we at an inflexible point in the masculinity shift? 50:53: How will the world be after COVID in regards to social and sanitization matters 55:24: Discussion on labeling people with a certain pathology 57:23: What can awareness actually do? 1:01:22: Drew's Ramsey book 1:07:55: What’s next in medical research? 1:18:26: Olive oil; why it should be the main fat we consume 1:19:26: Top foods that might cause depression from a nutritional standpoint More about Drew: Website: drewramseymd.com Instagram: @drewramseymd Book: Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety